Baby In the family
by hannah.grahamlecter
Summary: Follow Maura and Janes journey to adopting a baby. Multichapter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I would firstly like to thank everyone for clicking on this fic. This fic is set in my AU and so first and formostly has my OC Cassandra included. She's Maura's sister and 19/20 in this fic. Past this chapter she probably won't be focused on much but she's obviously going to be around because she lives with them, atleast at the beginning of the fic. She's also a vegan and she turned Maura plant based about a 9 months before this fic was set. I think Maura going plant based makes a lot of sense so I had to wind that in there.**

Jane and Maura entered their house, coming back from vacation with suitcases in their hands.

"Welcome back girls." Angela greeted whilst she was cooking dinner for everyone.

"Hello Ma." Jane greeted.

"Hello Angela." Maura greeted. "Where's Cassandra." She asked.

"In her room." Angela answered.

"Okay thankyou. I'm going to see her." Maura answered, taking her suitcase up and dropping it in her room before going to see Cassandra.

"Hello Casey." Maura greeted.

"Your back!" She responded happily, having missed both Maura and Jane over the past week.

"Yes. I'm back lovely. How have you been?"

"I've been alright," She answered. "Can I have a hug?"

"Of course you can." Maura responded, sitting beside Cassandra and hugging her. "Me and Jane have some news to share at dinner."

"Are you too finally having a baby?" She asked.

"We're adopting." Maura answered and took a pause. "Pretend you don't know until we tell Angela."

"That's amazing Maur!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Of course I'll pretend I don't know." She answered.

"Thankyou." She answered and released the hug. "I'm going to freshen up a bit before dinner if that's okay?"

"That's fine." She responded and smiled.

Meanwhile downstairs Angela gave Jane a big hug that was way too tight for her liking. "I missed you!" She exclaimed.

"Yes. You too." Jane answered uncomfortably.

"How was Vacation?"

"It was good Ma. How have you and Casey been?"

"I've been good. Casey's been really anxious in the evenings but otherwise okay."

"Oh that's good." Jane answered. "What's for dinner?" She asked.

"Tempeh Curry." She answered.

"Ma! Really?" Jane whined.

"Yes. It'll be nice." She answered.

"Are you turning into Maura and Casey?"

"Well I have been eating more plant based lately. It's much more energising. They are right."

"Okay Ma." She answered disbelievingly. "We have something to tell you at dinner?"

"Are you pregnant again?" Angela asked, her face lighting up.

"No. No one's pregnant Ma." Jane answered honestly.

"So what is it then?" She asked impatiently.

"We'll tell you at dinner."

"Oh you spoil sport!" Angela exclaimed.

"Sorry Ma." Jane responded before heading upstairs.

At dinner the four sat around her table and after some small talk Jane decided to announce their news. "Me and Maura have decided to adopt a baby."

"Wow! That's amazing. I'm going to be a grandma again!" Angela exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm so happy for you both." Casey also responded excitedly, pretending she hadn't already heard from Maura.

After the announcement Maura and Jane told Angela and Cassandra about their holiday, wanting to share how Maura had dragged Jane round Buckingham Place and in revenge Jane took Maura to the London Dungeons which nearly left her with nightmares.

"Anyone want dessert?" Cassandra asked.

"No thank you." Maura and Angela responded.

"You know me, always up for dessert." Jane answered.

"Vegan ice-cream okay?"

"Vegan ice-creams fine." She answered. With Maura and now Angela being so health conscious she was lucky that they had even vegan ice-cream in their freezer.

As Cassandra got the ice-cream and some bowls, Angela and Maura left the table.

"I've heard you've been getting really anxious while we we're away. Do you want to tell me about it?" Jane asked, knowing she might be able to understand how Cassandra was feeling and offer her support.

"I've just been really scared that someone might break in and hurt me or Angela." She answered.

"I know what that feels like." Jane answered, being able to relate greatly to that feeling. Especially after what had happened with Hoyt. "It can be scary being alone at night, can't it?"

"Yes, very. Wish I could make the fear go away."

"I don't think there's a way to do that." Jane answered. "If you do find one let me know." She paused. "I think you just have to learn to deal with it as best you can."

"I know I do." Cassandra answered. "I don't know how you do what you do."

"You get used to it and learn how to do with all the scary things." She responded. "How's your stomach been?" She asked, changing the topic. Knowing Cassandra had been having problems with her stomach for most of her life and even more so since getting sick in Thailand almost 2 years ago.

"Just uncomfortable."

"That's not too bad then."

"No. Fairly average." She responded.

The two stayed up and spoke for a while longer as it seemed as though Maura had gone to bed early and Angela had gone back to the guest house. They talked more about Jane's vacation and she even confessed that she was ever so slightly spooked by the dungeons.

"I'm going to go up to bed now." Cassandra said.

"Okay night." Jane replied. "I should probably be going up to bed too. I've barley slept in the last 36 hours." She responded yawning. "Me and Maura both seem to have some difficulty sleeping on planes."

"You're not the only one." Cassandra said, being able to relate. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, you too."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I would like to say thankyou for all the reviews on this fic so far. Here is the next installment. It's a really short chapter I know but don't see the need to drag thngs out unecessarily.**

Going back into work the next morning the couple both wished they had an extra day off as they were feeling slightly jet lagged. Having to deal with it they both got strong coffee's on the way in, hoping it would wake them up a bit.

"Welcome back Janie." Franke greeted as she entered the homicide floor. "Oh and congratulations." He continued having heard from Angela that she and Maura were planning on adopting.

"Thank you, but nothings certain yet. What if none of the agencies like us?" She responded, starting to worry about whether they would actually get the baby they want.

"I'm sure you'll find an agency who loves you." Frankie replied as Korsak entered.

"Welcome back Jane." He greeted. "How was vacation?"

"It was great. I mean apart from when Maura dragged me round art gallery's." She responded.

"I can just imagine how dull that was."  
"Very."

"Congratulations by the way." He wished, having also been told by Angela.

"Ma got to you too?" Jane asked sighing.

"Yes. You know she can't keep secrets,"

"I know. We wanted to tell everyone ourselves." Jane answered pausing. "There may be nothing to congratulate." Jane continued.

"You and Maura will make great parents. Any adoption agency will be able to see that." Korsak reassured.

"I hope so. Do we have any cases?" She asked, needing a case to sink her teeth into in order to wake herself up.

"No. Just paperwork."

"Now I really do wish I had another day off." Jane answered, grumbling a little and sitting at her desk.

The day dragged on slowly for the detective who hated paper work, she frequently went down to see Maura to express her boredom and took a lunch break with her in order to pass the time. Finally it was time for them both to leave. Jane happy to be free from the chore of paper work went down to meet Maura before they headed home together.

At home they spent the evening looking at different adoption agencies alongside dinner and a drink. Wine for Maura and Beer for Jane. They wanted to take the time to choose the agency they would prefer to go with if they we're accepted upon registration. After a long discussion and a look through various agency's they decided they would go with adoptions with love and booked a private consultation for a couple of days' time.


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of days later Maura woke up early, before the alarm as she was anxious about their meeting that day. She decided to get up, without waking up Jane she showered and got dressed before brewing coffee and making buckwheat pancakes.

To Maura's surprise she found Cassandra downstairs, curled up in the foetal position on the couch. "Casey?" She asked, unsure of whether she was awake or not.

"Morning Maura." She greeted.

"Are you okay?"

"My stomach is giving me hell." She answered.

"Oh sweetheart." Maura responded sympathetically and sat beside her. "Have you had any diarrhoea? She asked.

"Only a bit. It's probably just IBS, although I don't know what's set it off."

"Have you been replenishing your electrolytes?" Maura asked.

"Yes. I've been sipping at electrolyte water." She answered.

"Good. I'm presuming you don't want any pancakes."

"No. No pancakes." Cassandra answered. "Do you have your meeting today?"

"Yes we do. I'm really quite nervous."

"It'll be fine Maur." Cassandra reassured. "I know it."

"I hope so." She answered and paused. "I'm going to get on with the pancakes for me and Jane. Do you want a hot water bottle?"

"Please."

Maura then went and made up the pancake batter and bought Cassandra her hot water bottle. "Thankyou Maur. I'm going to go back to bed."

"Okay. I'll check on you before we leave.

"Thankyou Maur." Cassandra answered, before going up to her room.

Maura then went back to the kitchen and started to fry the pancakes and waited for Jane to come down, knowing their alarm would have gone off a few minutes ago.

"You're making me pancakes?" Jane asked, coming down in her usual get up.

"Yes. I thought you would like them." Maura responded, looking at her beautiful wife with her long legs and black hair that Maura was so attracted to.

"I love pancakes Maur. Even your healthy ones. Thankyou."

"That's okay. I woke up early." She answered.

"Oh. Are you okay?" Jane asked, knowing if anyone was to wake up before their alarm it was typically Jane.

"Just anxious about the meeting."

"Yeah. Me too." Jane agreed.

The couple ate their breakfast and Maura checked on Cassandra, leaving her some electrolyte water after seeing she was asleep. They then both left the house with Maura driving them over to adoption with love for their meeting.

Sitting down, they waited for around 5 minutes to be called in, both growing increasingly anxious about what would happen and whether they would even be welcomed to register with the agency.

"Hello I'm Sarah Lewis and I'm a social worker with adoptions with love." The social worker greeted after being called into her office. "You two must be Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles." She continued.

"Yes. That's us." Jane responded, slightly anxiously.

"I'm here to tell you about adopting with us and answer any questions you may have before you start the process." Sarah told them, she was friendly and warm in her speech, she had to be as she knew many prospective parents we're anxious about the process as with many expectant mothers wishing to put their children up for adoption.

Much to Jane and Maura's relief the meeting went well. They learnt a lot more about adoption and how it would all work and felt a lot more reassured after having questions answered such as what would happen if the mother wanted the child back or what if the child wanted to find its true parents. They also felt a lot more reassured about their own success in being able to adopt a baby in the first place after being told they would be great candidates. They left the meeting with a registration form, which they were to fill in and return.

After leaving adoptions with love they both got their phones out to see they had missed calls which made them realise they had a case. Jane decided to call Korsak to see where they were.

"Hello Jane." He answered.

"Hello Korsak. Where are you?"

"In the park. We just arrived at the crime scene."

"Okay. We'll be there in 5." Jane responded ending the call and going with Maura to the crime scene.

"Rig shows she died in the early hours of the morning, between 1 and 3am." Maura said, examining what they could of the body at the crime scene. They were looking at a woman mid 30's to early 40's who had been dumped with no ID or personal items other than clothing, in a bush within the park.

Back at the station Maura conducted the autopsy and found that the cause of death was asphyxiation, and managed to ID her as missing person Danielle Wallace. They still however did not know very much about Danielle, other than that her sister had reported her missing a week prior. They could tell it was going to be a difficult case to crack.

After a two days of hard work they finally managed to identify and catch the murderer, which was rather fortunate as he had another woman of a similar age to Danielle captured whom they were thankfully able to save. Making this one of the better outcomes for Homicide cases.

The end of the case meant Maura and Jane could go through and fill in the registration form that evening, getting the adoption process started. Which would mean they would be on the path to getting the baby they wanted. The child they wanted to welcome as their own.

"Let's hope they accept us." Jane said, as they posted off the form the next morning.

"Let's hope." Maura responded.


	4. Chapter 4

The couple waited anxiously over the next couple of weeks to hear back from the agency as to whether they would be accepted. During that time they had 4 cases, although that didn't do much to distract them from the worried that they may not be accepted.

"Jane do you think they will accept us?" Maura asked worriedly, that night in bed.

"I hope so. I think I have a good feeling." She answered.

"I just want to hear back."

"So do I, but they did say it could take up to a month." Jane responded, trying to reassure her wife.

"Can we snuggle?" Maura asked.

"Of course we can." Jane answered, moving to allow for Maura to snuggle with her.

The couple fell asleep just like that, snuggled and then woke up the same way the next morning, entwined.

"Do you think we will hear back again?" Maura asked.

"I hope so." Jane replied, we should get up.

"I know. I would rather stay here snuggling with you."

"So would I Maur." Jane replied, kissing her wife's cheek before removing her arms from round her so they could both get up.

Going downstairs they saw Cassandra and Angela were already up. Cassandra was sitting eatng half a watermelon and using her phone whilst Angela was drinking a coffee and reading the news.

"Morning." Jane and Maura greeted, Jane pouring both her and Maura coffee.

"Morning." Angela greeted, putting the paper down briefly. "Have you heard from the Agency yet?"

"No. Not yet." Jane responded as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"Well hopefully you will soon." Angela answered.

"I hope so too Angela." Maura answered as they longer they didn't hear the more anxious she got.

"Well you girls will make excellent parents so don't worry, okay?" Angela told them, offering reassurance.

"Thankyou Angela, we're trying." Maura answered and got herself the other half of the watermelon for breakfast.

"I don't get how you two can eat so much watermelon." Jane observed.

"Fairly easily." Cassandra answered.

"Yes. You should try it Jane. It's really hydrating." Maura responded.

"I'm hydrated enough Maur." Jane answered sighing.

"Okay." She answered, not wanting to argue about it at this time and decided to leave Jane to make her own decisions.

"No fact about dehydration?" Jane asked, expecting some sort of statistic.

"No. Not today." She answered.

"Well are you okay?" Jane asked, knowing it wasn't typical for her.

"I'm fine." She answered honestly.

"Good. You'd tell me if you weren't right?"

"Yes. I'd tell you."

"Good." Jane answered.

At work Maura and Jane separated off onto their respective floors. Not having any cases they didn't see each other much throughout the day.

Soon after lunch Maura got a phone call from an unknown number. "Isles." She answered.

"Hello Dr Isles, I'm from adoptions with love and I would like to talk to you about your application.

"Okay." Maura answered, feeling slightly anxious at how ambiguous her speech seemed, it could go either way.

"We've decided to accept your application and we would like to book a home visit if that's okay?"

"Yes, that would be great." Maura answered and opened her diary to see when she was free.

"Are you both available on the 8th of September at 2:30pm?"

"Yes. Maura answered after checking her diary and knowing that Jane could schedule her shifts to have the afternoon off.

After ending the call Maura immediately called Jane down to tell her the good news.

"What is it Maur?" Jane asked after entering her office.

"We've been accepted!"

"Really?" Jane asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes. We have a home visit on the 8th at 2:30pm." She answered.

"This is great Maura!" Jane exclaimed. "Lets just hope our house is okay."

"I'm sure it will be. Lets celebrate tonight." Maura suggested.

"Sure, the dirty robber?"

"That sounds good." Maura answered. "What time do you finish?"

"Six."

"Okay we'll go just after then."

"That sounds like a plan." Jane responded before going back to get on with work.

That evening Maura and Jane went down to the dirty robber and sat at the bar, ordering drinks from Angela.

"Hello girls, I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"We're celebrating Angela." Maura answered.

"You've been accepted?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes. We've been accepted."

"Congratulations!" Angela exclaimed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Good luck with the visit." Cassandra wished Maura on the morning of their home visit as they were both sitting across from each other at the breakfast bar.

"Thankyou Casey." Maura responded. "Your meeting mom today, right?" She asked.

"Yes. I am." Cassandra answered and paused. "She said she wanted to catch up with me."

"Well that's fair enough." Maura answered. "Have fun."

"I will." She answered.

"Good. When are you leaving?"

"She's picking me up in half an hour." Cassandra answered and gave a slight sigh.

"Are you okay?" Maura asked, having noticed her sigh.

"Yeah. I've not seen mom in over a year so I'm just a bit anxious."

"Well that's understandable. She's a lovely woman and I know she still loves you." Maura answered, trying to reassure her sister.

"I know. But I've changed a lot in the last year and what if she doesn't like who I've become." Cassandra replied worriedly.

"Don't be silly Casey!" Maura exclaimed. "Of course she'll still love you. You've grown into an even better woman than you were a teenager." She answered.

"Thankyou."

"That's okay. I'm just doing my job as your big sister." Maura told her.

Soon after Hope knocked on the door and Maura answered. "Hello Maura." Hope greeted.

"Hello Hope. Come in. Cassandra will be ready soon." Maura greeted.

"How have you been?" Hope asked Maura after coming into the house.

"I've been good. How about you?" She asked.

"I've been good too." Hope answered as Cassandra came down the stairs.

"Hello mom." She greeted.

"Hello Casey. Are you ready?" She asked, looking at her daughter who she hadn't seen in a while, she looked much the same to what she remembered, although slightly slimmer.

"Yes." She replied.

"Great, we'll get going then. I'll see you later Maura."

"Yes, you too." Maura responded as both Cassandra and Hope left, wishing goodbye to Maura.

"How was travelling?" Hope asked Cassandra once they'd got into the car.

"Good. I actually managed to stay out of the hospital this time." Cassandra answered.

"That's good." Hope answered and took a long pause. "I missed you."

"I've missed you too." Cassandra answered. "How have you been?"

"I've been good. How about you? Has your stomach been okay?"

"It's not been any worse."

"Well that's something."

"Yes it is." Cassandra agreed.

Back at Maura's house Maura started to work on making sure the house was tidy before the home visit. Whilst she was busy hoovering the living room, ensuring it was spotless Angela came in. "Hello Maura." She greeted.

"Morning Angela." She greeted and turned off the hoover. "How are you?"

"I'm good Maura. How about you?"

"I'm good, a bit worried about the home visit though."

"I'm sure you are. I know I would be." Angela sympathised.

"Yes. Me and Jane really want a baby so I think we're both a bit worried that we won't pass."

"Well that's understandable. You don't think they'll mind that I'm living with you?" Angela asked, not wanting to be the one that stopped them from having a baby.

"No Angela. You're looking for a new apartment anyway, even if you were too." Mura answered.

"Yes, I know. I have a viewing later."

"Well good luck." Maura wished and paused. "The house is going to be so quiet soon with Cassandra going to BCU next week and you moving out."

"Well it will be until you get your baby." Angela answered. "And thank you. Do you need any help tidying?"

"That would be lovely if you have the time." Maura answered.

For the rest of the morning Angela and Maura worked on tidying the house, ensuring t was spotless and they were ready for the home visit. They had just finished and were sitting drinking coffee as she came home from work. "Take your shoes off." Maura called, wanting the house to stay spotless until the social worker came.

"Hello to you too." Jane answered as she took off her shoes before going to see Maura and Angela and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"How was work?" Maura asked.

"It really dragged without you." Jane answered, paper work was never fun but it was even less fun when she couldn't go down to see Maura on a regular basis.

The three chatted for a while before Angel went to her viewing and Maura and Jane waited, rather impatiently and anxiously for the social worker to arrive.

At 2:30 the social worker knocked on the door and Maura answered. "Hello I'm Lindsey Barbell and I'm going to be your social worker." She greeted.

"Hello." Maura greeted warmly, inviting the social worker into their home where the three of them sat in the living room and talked about a variety of things relating to Maura and Janes life before she looked around the house and in what would be the Nursery to ensure it was all in order.

"You both are the perfect couple to adopt a baby. I'll be in touch when we have an expectant mother to possibly match you with." The social worker told them at the end of the visit.

"Thankyou." Both Maura and Jane responded before saying goodbye to the social worker.

"We're really having a baby!" Jane exclaimed, in slight disbelief and shock that this was actually happening.

Yes we're really having a baby." Maura responded and hugged her wife.

A while later Hope came round to drop Cassandra off home. After greeting Maura, Maura decided that she would invite hope in and tell her the news that they were having baby.

"Hope. Me and Jane have some news." She said after they'd all sat down with some tea. "We're adopting a baby."

"That's great news!" Hope exclaimed, happy for the two of them.

"Thank you Hope." Maura answered, sipping at her tea.

"That's okay. I really want a grandchild." She answered.

"So does Angela." Maura responded, both her and Jane knew Angela was very excited and had talked more about decorating the nursery and buying baby clothes than both Jane and Maura had.

"Yeah she can't wait to have a grandkid." Jane agreed.

The three chatted for a while longer before Hope left to head back home. "I hope to see you soon Maura." Hope told her before leaving.

"You too." Maura responded.


	6. Chapter 6

The weeks passed while they waited to be matched with an expectant mother. And lots changed during those weeks. Both Angela and Cassandra moved out, Cassandra to dorms at BCU and Angela to her new apartment down the road. As a result of this, just as Maura expected the house became a lot quieter; which was strange really. She missed the noise and surprisingly Jane started to miss having her mother around all the time.

It was just a waiting game now, a waiting game until they were matched with an expectant mother.

It was the middle of October when they got the call, early on a Tuesday morning before either of them had to go to work. "Hello," Maura answered.

"Hello, Maura. It's Lindsey. We have an expectant mother that would like to meet you both." She told Maura over the phone.

"That's great!" Maura exclaimed.

"I'm pleased to hear that. Her name is Bethany Ashwood and she's 19 and a student at Northeastern." She continued. "I'll give you her details so you can all arrange a meeting amongst yourselves."

"Thankyou," Maura answered as she got a pen and paper in order to write the details down.

"So?" Jane asked as Maura came off the phone.

"We have an expectant mother who would like to meet us. Her name is Bethany and she's a student at Northeastern." Maura answered pausing. "We need to call to arrange a meeting."

"That's great news!" Jane exclaimed. "Shall we call now?" She asked.

"Yes." Maura agreed and dialled the number for their prospective adoptive mother.

"Hello," Bethany answered at the other end.

"Hello. I'm Dr Maura Isles and I would like to arrange a meeting with my wife and I adopting your baby." Maura greeted warmly.

"Hello, Maura." She greeted. "I would love to meet you both. How about tomorrow evening at 7? My apartment" She offered.

"Yes. That would be fine." Maura responded and asked for the address so they could finalise the meeting before ending the call.

"All organised," Maura told Jane before ending the call. "We're meeting Bethany at 7 tomorrow evening in her apartment." She continued, relaying the information to Jane.

"That's good Maur. I hope she likes us."

"Yes. So do I, Jane." Maura agreed.

That day they went to work happy and excited for the progress in adopting a baby. Fortunately only getting handed a fairly easy case which they were able to solve before the next day's meeting, leaving them with no distractions and able to focus on getting to know and talking to Bethany who would hopefully be their baby's biological mother if all was to go well.

7pm the next day came and Maura and Jane were both feeling slightly nervous as they walked up to Bethany's apartment and knocked on her door. What if she didn't like them, or she changed her mind about wanting to give her baby for adoption?

"Hello, Maura and Jane." Bethany greeted, she also seemed slightly nervous and invited them in to sit on her sofa and offering them drinks. To which both of them went for coffee.

After getting the drinks Bethany sat opposite to the couple as they told Bethany more about themselves, having something which felt more like a friendly conversation rather than a meeting about adopting a baby. Bethany also told them more about her.

After the meeting, Maura and Jane left feeling less nervous than before, after being told by Bethany that she would love for the to adopt her baby and decided to keep in contact so Maura and Jane could be updated on the pregnancy.

It actually seemed as though they were going to get the baby they always wanted in their lives yet never ready for in a matter of months.


	7. Chapter 7

As the next month and a half passed and either Maura, Jane or the both of them went to Bethany's appointments with her, and they both lit up with excitement when they saw their growing baby on the ultrasound and heard the sound of its heartbeat. They were actually quite excited for the new baby with most of the nerves about things going wrong gone, although some did still linger.

They'd been getting all the shopping, stocking up on diapers, and doing the more fun shopping, or at least for Maura of picking out the perfect crib, the perfect pram, and the perfect clothes. She wanted everything in the nursery to match. They were going to paint it pastel pink and white, seeing as they knew that they would be getting a baby girl very soon.

They got Tommy and Frankie round to help paint the nursery one day and once the paint was dry they got them to help move everything in. With Maura's instructions on how it all should be perfectly arranged. After the nursery had been finished, they both stayed round for dinner tonight and they opted for a pizza takeaway that had a vegan option for Maura and also options for everyone else. The four of them sat around the living room of Jane and Maura's home, eating the pizza and talking along with drinking beer.

They had only just finished their Pizza when Maura got a call from the Lindsey, their social worker. "Hello?" Maura answered, and excused herself from the room. She had a bad feeling about this call. Because she wasn't expecting it and it was 9pm at night.

"Hello, Maura. Bethany's been in a car accident and you're both needed at the hospital." She told her sensitively.

"Is she okay? How about the baby?" Maura asked, having too many questions arising from her shock and worry that they may not be getting a baby so soon after all.

"It's best the doctors explain." She responded.

"Okay. Well, we'll be down in 15 minutes." Maura answered, putting the phone down. She was suddenly shaking and breathless. What if their baby was gone from them before she had even been born? "Jane, I need a word," Maura said shakily, standing in the doorway.

"Okay Maur." Jane answered and stood up to see her wife. She knew something was wrong by her demeanour. "What is it?" She asked.

"Bethany's been in a car accident and we need to go to the hospital."

Jane was stunned to silence and Maura looked at her, waiting for any sort of reaction before she went back in the living room. "Frankie. Me and Maura need to talk to you." She said.

"What is it, Janie?" He asked after they were all out in the Hallway.

"Bethany's been in a car accident. Can you, Korsak and Holiday all look into it?" She asked. "Just incase it wasn't an accident and it targeted at us." She continued.

"Of course we can Jane." He agreed and gave her sister a hug.

"Thankyou," Jane answered before telling Tommy where they all had to go.

"Anything I can do to help?" He offered.

"No. Not right now." Jane answered softly. "Thank you though." Tommy was always so caring about his family and she really loved that about him.

Maura and Jane then went off to the hospital whilst Frankie got hold of Korsak and Holiday so they could look into the accident, although he knew it most likely was he understood that Jane wanted to be sure. He wanted to be sure too.

At the hospital Maura and Jane went to see Bethany, she was on life support. They wondered how this could have happened to them and if there was any chance the baby was okay. Maura herself knew that Bethany's family would get top priority if there was a decision that needed to be made because legally they came above them and Bethany came above the baby in her womb.

"Bethany's Brain dead." The doctor told them. "From what we understand the collision was head on and she suffered a major head trauma. It is very unlikely that she will ever come back. The baby is however still alive, and we can remove her surgically with the maximum chance of survival within the next few hours. She will be a month and a half premature so there are significant risks associated with this that could affect her whole life. Is this a risk you would like to take?

"Yes." Both Jane and Maura agreed. They wanted this baby more than anything, although Maura was more worried about the idea than Jane, as being a doctor she knew more about the long list of complications babies born prematurely at only 34 weeks could potentially face.

"Okay. Her parents will be here in about half an hour so could you two both sit in the waiting room until then." The doctor answered.

"Okay," Maura answered, and took her wife with her into the waiting room where they sat and waited, hoping the decision that would be made was the decision that would suit them. They both supported each other for the next 45 minutes, sitting mainly in silence not knowing what to say. But occasionally saying a few words to each other to try and break the uncomfortable silence and the negative atmosphere of lots of worried loved ones together in the waiting room.

Eventually, they were called back by the doctor, as the family wanted to meet the two of them and there was still a decision to be reached. Maura and Jane were both very nervous about this, because what if they didn't like them and based their decision on that, rather than what it should really be about.

"Hello." Maura greeted. "I'm Maura Isles and this is My wife, Jane Rizzoli." She introduced.

"Hello, Maura. We're Bethany's parents. I'm Elizabeth and this is Aaron." Bethany's mother introduced.

The four got to know each other for a few minutes, ignoring the fact that there was a decision to be made until the doctor came in to try and get a final decision and agreement off of the four of them.

"Is there really no chance that she could come back?" Elizabeth asked, not wanting her to have the surgery, which would also mean she would have to be taken off life support if there was a chance.

"I would like to stress that the chance is very minimal and scientifically speaking there would be no explanation for her to come back." The doctor answered.

"If there's a chance I don't want it to happen," Elizabeth said strongly.

"Come on Elizabeth. You know Bethany didn't want to be a vegetable for the rest of her life and this could mean this wonderful couple gets a baby of their own." Aaron answered, trying to reason with her.

"Can we talk outside?" She asked.

"Of course." The doctor answered as Aaron and Elizabeth went to discuss what they wanted to do in this situation.

"I know this must be hard for you both." The doctor told Maura and Jane as they were both still standing there. Not really having much else to say to them. "Hopefully, we'll beable to get the mothers agreement though." He answered, ever hopeful as he also wanted to save the one life he could tonight.

"We hope so too," Maura answered, but I understand where she's coming from. She's likely in shock that her daughter isn't coming back.

"Yes. That's right." The doctor agreed, as Jane got a call from Frankie and excused herself so that she could answer it.

"Frankie?" She asked.

"It was an accident, Jane." He told her, hearing her sigh of relief on the other end. "How are you both doing?"

"We're holding up. We're still not sure whether we'll get the baby though." She answered.

"Well, I hope you both do. You deserve her." He answered.

"Thankyou Frankie," Jane answered and ended the call. "It was an accident." She told Maura when she went back in.

"Oh, that's good," Maura answered. Glad to at least have some relief whilst they were waiting for Elizabeth and Aaron to come back in.

A few minutes later Elizabeth and Aaron came back in, having reached an agreement. "Can we be involved in her life?" Elizabeth asked Maura and Jane. "You can still be her parents, we don't want to take that away from you but we would like to be able to see her and get to know her, especially seeing as she's the only part of our daughter we have now."

"Of course you can," Maura answered instantly, with Jane also in agreement.

"So we'll go ahead with the surgery?" The doctor asked, just to clarify.

"Yes." The four of them agreed, before being explained what would happen next and the surgery commenced.


	8. Chapter 8

The doctor came in to the waiting room and called Jane and Maura both over to him. "Your little girl has been born and she seems perfectly healthy for her level of development being premature but we do need to keep her in an incubator for the next couple of weeks at least, just so that she continues to develop properly and hopefully suffers no complications." The doctor explained.

"Thank you for saving her." Maura answered. "When can we see her?" She asked.

"Now if you would both like to?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, we would." Maura answered and Jane also agreed to this.

"Okay. Follow me." The doctor answered and lead them to the NICU and showed them to their daughters incubator. "Here she is." The doctor told them.

"Thankyou." Maura said, before looking down to see her little baby girl who was still so tiny. "She's so cute." Maura told Jane, after the doctor had left them to spend some time seeing their daughter.

"She is." Jane agreed. "Will she be okay?" Jane asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine Jane." Maura reassured, knowing there were no complications and therefore they would have a perfectly healthy baby to take home in just a couple of weeks.

"I love her already." Jane confessed, although she wasn't openly a baby person to everyone Maura knew how much she loved them really so she was open to her.

"So do I Jane." Maura replied, pausing. "What shall we call her?"

"I think Ava suits her." Jane answered.

"Okay. I like that name. It's of Latin origin and means life." She continued.

"Okay Maura." Jane answered, amazed that she could still be so clever even when she had barley slept and been through the stress they had just been through.

For the next 3 weeks they visited Ava at the hospital daily, getting to hold her as she grew and developed. Becoming attached to their beautiful baby, their little miracle and just longing for the day when they would be able to take her home. Bethany's parents also visited Ava on occasion during this period, happy that they made the decision to make something good come out of the tragedy.

Eventually the day came when Ava was allowed home. They were told a day in advance, so they could ensure they had a car seat in the car and everything all ready for her coming home. Maura and Jane were so excited to have this news. They would finally have a baby to share their life with, to guide. A baby who would grow up to be a child, a teen and eventually an adult. It was all real now and there was no going back because Ava could come home. They would get to enjoy their little girls company for more than a couple of hours a day.

They didn't sleep that night. The one before bringing their baby home. They were both excited and full of nerves, full of nerves about whether they would be good enough parents. Which everyone had reassured them they would be, but as with any new parent the worry was still there.

Finally after a long night the morning came. They got up, made breakfast and quickly got ready to head to the hospital, ready to pick up their baby. "Hello darling." Maura greeted Ava, having the sleeping baby in her arms while Jane signed release papers before they went out to the car and put her in the car seat, which actually was more difficult than what they managed it to be. They would certainly have to remember to leave earlier in the future so they could get Ava safe in her seat.

When they arrived home Ava had woken up and had her beautiful blue eyes open. This time Jane took her out of the car seat and took her into the house. "This is your home darling." She told Ava, and showed her, her nursery, despite knowing she was likely to take none of it in.


End file.
